Apparatus for heat conditioning of green tires for vulcanization

ABSTRACT

The preheating of selective thickest portions of a green tire as in the shoulder regions of a green tire as by a radian heater to condition the green tire for vulcanization such that the green tire when vulcanized by the molding press receives and utilizes its maximum amount of heat energy to reduce the vulcanizing and curing cycle.

United States Patent [191 Cimprich 1 APPARATUS FOR HEAT CONDITIONING OF GREEN TIRES FOR VULCANIZATION [75] Inventor: Francis J. Cimprich, Canton, Ohio [73] Assignee: The B. F. Goodrich Company, Akron, Ohio [22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 293,073

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 149,693, June 3, 1971, Pat. No.

[52] U.S. Cl 219/535, 219/349, 219/352, 219/521, 425/28, 425/174.4 [51] Int. Cl. HOSb 3/58 [58] Field of Search 219/347, 348, 349,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,318,203

5/1943 Crosby 425/174.4

[111 3,783,241 [451 Jan. 1, 1974 3,054,141 9/1962 Hammestahr 219/350 X 3,170,193 7 2/1965 Fike 219/535 X 3,415,978 12/1968 Hamson 219/521 X FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 484,199 4/1938 Great Britain 219/349 Primary ExaminerVolodymyr Y. Mayewsky Attorney.loseph Januszkiewicz et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT The preheating of selective thickest portions of a green tire as in the shoulder regions of a green tire as by a radian heater to condition the green tire for vulcanization such that the green tire when vulcanized by the molding press receives and utilizes its maximum amount of heat energy to reduce the vulcanizing and curing cycle,

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIEDJM nan 3,783,241

SHEET 1 BF 2 1 APPARATUS FOR HEAT CONDITIONING OF GREEN TIRES FOR VULCANIZATION CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improvement in the vulcanization of tires.

Vulcanization of tires is the final stage in the preparation and fabrication of tires, be they radial, bias, or bias belted. In the construction of pneumatic tires it is the practice to first build the ti re carcass in pulley-band form about a tire building drum by wrapping a plurality of layers of fabric reinforced ply stock. The ply stock is turned over the beads at the ends of the drum and the tread stock is applied. There are many variations in this basic process depending on the number of plies, type of fabric, and also depending on the type of additional layers or strips applied, such as breakers, belts, chafer strips, and sidewall strips. Such green tire is of a cylindrical form or pulley-band form. The shaping and vulcanization of such cylindrical form is accomplished in a curing press wherein the press receives the green tire in its cylindrical form, secures the respective ends or beads and moves such beads towards each other while pressurizing the interior of the tire to fill a tire mold as by a bladderor steam pressure. The mold consists of a pair of complementary annular mold sections which, when in mating engagement, define a cavity of tire shape. When the mold sections are in mating engagement, curing medium is circulated through the interior of the tire while the mold sections are heated. Upon completion of the vulcanization, the shaped tire is removed from the mold. In the case of radial tires, the tire carcass is pre-shaped prior to vulcanization.

The vulcanization process is a complex step because the tire is not uniform in shape, the heat transfer process takes place under complex conditions of nonuniform heat transfer, and rubber is a poor conductor of heat.

The present invention contemplates an apparatus for the preheating of selected portions only of a green tire as by a heater means to reduce the overall time necessary to vulcanize a tire.

Through the use of a heater such as spaced radiant heaters, heat is concentrated in a narrow width beam at each shoulder region of the green tireand only that portion of the tire is heated which is the thickest. In the case of radial tires the tread region is preheated. The advantage of this is that when such preheated tire is placed in the mold for vulcanization, maximum heat energy is utilized and the overall cure time is reduced. Such preheating provides for efficient use of heat energy minimizing excess heat being dissipated with no overheating. l-leretofore, the conventional method'of curing a tire utilized the vulcanizing press exclusively such that the heat energy was applied uniformly tothe tire; however, being that rubber is a poor conductor of heat, it was necessary to apply heat energy for a given time period as determined by the thickest portion of the tire which heat energy was provided to all portions of the tire at a uniform rate. Considering the tire as a heat sink, its rateof absorption of heat was limited, and

to pour more heat energy into the vulcanization process did not aid since the rate of heat absorption was limited. Further, some heat energy was wasted as in sidewalls, where the rate of absorption of heat energy was good compared to the thread and-shoulder portions. The advantage of the preheating as set forth by this invention is that the vulcanization press cycle time is reduced, yet one is able to manipulate the tire automatically for press loading. As an example of this on a G78X14 four ply tire, the cure cycle was reduced'by a minimum of 2 minutes on a 17.5 minute cure cycle. On larger size tires the cure cycle is reduced further. Another benefit of the selective preheating of tires according to this invention is that when the preheated tire is placed in the mold, the tire can be shaped to the mold volume with approximately fifty per cent less shaping pressure than the standard shaping pressure.

The cost savings effected by reducing the cure time is dependent on the size tire being vulcanized and the type of equipment used. The net result is that preheating of green tires makes it easier to shape them and to increase the productivity per square foot of floor space and any reduction in cure cycle time will reflect substantially on the overall cure cost. Such reduction in cure time increases the overall efficiency of vulcanization. Although the invention is shown and described with respect to a flat band preheating, the invention is equally applicable to pre-shaped tires such as radial tires.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention contemplates an improved apparatus for vulcanizing tires wherein a green tire is pre- I BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a general side elevational view of a press with heater means in cooperation witha loader;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the loader and heater means;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational viewof the loader and heater means with portions broken away, and showing the heater means in the operative position in phantom lines;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the heater means with portions broken away.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a base 1 supporting a lower mold section 2. Base 1 supports a bracket 4 which pivotally supports upper mold section 5. Mold section 5 is suitably moved into mating engagement with the lower mold section 2 to mold a green tire T, shown in pulley band form in FIG. 1. Suitable bull gears or cam plates and guide slots with suitable guide rollers facilitate the opening and closing of the press sections in a manner old and well-known in the art. See US. Pat. No. 3,065,503. When the press is in closed position, the top and bottom mold sections 2 and 5 are in mating engagement thereby forming a tireshape cavity *therebetween in which a tire is adapted to be cured to final shape by a circulation of curing medium such as hot water or steam under pressure through the interior of the green tire or through a diaphragm that is in contact with the green tire. In the open position, the upper mold section 5 is offset from the bottom mold section 2 such that a green tire may be positioned into the bottom mold section 2 without interference.

Secured to base 1 is a laterally extending bracket 6, which supports a pan 7 upon which may be placed a green tire T, which is to be loaded into the press. A bracket 8 is located generally rearwardly of the press, which bracket 8 is shown generally in FIG. 1, although any other suitable support means may be used. Journaled as at 9 on one end of bracket 8 (FIG. 2) is a lever arm or support member for a device to be described 10. The one end of arm or base support member 10 has the head end of a pneumatic cylinder 12 secured thereto. Cylinder 112 has a piston 14 mounted therein for reciprocal movement. A rod 15 is secured to piston 14 for movement therewith. The lower end of rod 15 has a flange 16 secured thereto. Four L-shaped brackets 17 (FIGS. 2 and 4) have their one ends secured to flange or flange member 16 such that they are equally spaced and have their one leg diverging outwardly from flange 16 at 90 quadrants. The other end of L-shaped brackets 17 support heating means 18. Secured to the one end of bracket 17 is a flange 20which supports for movement therewith a piston rod 21. One end of piston rod 21 supports a piston 22. Mounted for reciprocable movement on rod 21 is a cylinder 23. The upper portion of cylinder 23 has a pair of spaced flanges 24 and 25 secured thereto to captively engage one end 28 of a plurality of bell cranks 29. Only one bell crank 28 will be described. The pivot support of crank 29 is journaled on a bracket 30 that is secured to flange 20. The

7 other end of crank 29 has a curved portion 32 to facilitate the lifting of a' green tire T from pan 7 by engagement of the respective curved portions 32 of the crank 29 with the inner bead portion 33 of the green tire T. Pressurization of the head end of cylinder 23 moves the cylinder 23 downwardly only slightly while pivoting the curved portions 32 outwardly for a purpose to be described. V

The heating means 18 comprises a pair of spaced annular reflectors 35, 36 secured to the brackets 17. Each reflector as seen in FIG. 3 isvhemispherical in cross section, although other shapes are contemplated such as a parabolic to more precisely reflect the radiant energy tothe tire shoulder. Suitably secured to the respective reflectors 35 and 36 are heating elements or rods 37 which are connected to a suitable source of power supply. For purposes of this embodiment the heating elements are Cromalox elements which upon receiving energy aim a narrow width band of radiant heat at each shoulder of the green tire while heldin the loader of the press. Bracket 8 supports a U-shaped bracket 40 (FIG. 2) to which is pivotally supported as at 41 a pneumatic cylinder 42. The rod end of cylinder 42 is pivotally connected to the intermediate portion of lever arm or base 10.

In the operation of the described apparatus assume a tire T is resting on pan 7, with the press loading mechanism in the up position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1. Upon pressurization of the head end of cylinder 12, piston rod 15 is moved downwardly along with brackets 17 and bell cranks 29 until portion 32 bell cranks 29 is inside tire T. The head end of cylinder 23 is pressurized which extends cylinder 23 along with ends 28 of cranks 29 thereby pivoting cranks 29 about their pivot support on bracket 30 to swing the respective curved portions 32 outwardly, such that curved portions 32 engage the inner bead portion 33 of tire T. Theheating elements 37 are then energized to heat up such elements to their desired energy level such that elements 37 in cooperation with reflectors 35 and 36 emit a narrow band of radiant heat to the respective shoulders of the green tire. Upon completion of the vulcanization of a tire in the press, the upper mold section 5 is raised in a conventional manner, ejecting the tire therefrom and being in a condition to receive the next green tire for vulcanization thereof. The rod end of cylinder 12 is then pressurized to move the rod 15 along with the green tire held by the bell crank 29 upwardly. Also see U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,343 for the vulcanizing press and mechanism for servicing the press.

With the lever arm or base 10 being in the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2, cylinder 42 is energized to swing the brackets 17 along with the green tire T to the position shown by the full lines in FIG. 2, which positions the green tire immediately above mold 2. The head end of cylinder 12 is then pressurized to move tire T downwardly into position on the mold 2. The tire T is released from the loading mechanism by pressurizing the rod end of cylinder 23, which moves cylinder 23 upwardly to swing the respective curved portions 32 inwardly to release the tire T. The rod end of cylinder 12 is then pressurized to move the rod 15 along with the bell cranks 29 upwardly away from the mold 2. Simultaneously withsuch action either an operator places a tire T on the pan 7 or a tire T is automatically placed thereon by a conveyor means, wherein such placement is not a part of this invention. Cylinder 42 is then pressurized to swing lever arm or base 10 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 to position the bell cranks 29 and the heater means 18 into the position shown in FIG. 2. Thereafter the head end of cylinder 12 is pressurized to move the heater means 18 and the bell crank 29 along with the curved portions 32 into tire engaging position. The upper mold section 5 is then pivoted into complementary engagement with the lower mold section 2 for the curing or vulcanization process in a manner old and well understood in the art. The gripping and sealing of the respective ends of the green tire prior to the closing of the press is not detailed as it forms no part of the invention. For closure and gripping means see U.S. Pat. No. 2,921,337. The preheating of the green tire reduces the overall time necessary for vulcanization and does not interfere withthe loader in its ability to hold the green tire. Where the entire tire is preheated, the green tire softens and yields under the application of heat and renders it unmanageable. The preheater described is adjustable to various tire sizes and specifications. The preheater may be internal of the tire and preheat those prescribed portions that are thickest.

Modifications are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to by those skilled in the art without department from the described invention, as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only a preferred embodiment thereof has been disclosed.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the conditioning of tires for vulcanization comprising a base support member, said base member having a flange member movable mounted relative thereto, power means operatively interconnecting said flange member and said base member for moving said flange member relative to said base member, a plurality of longitudinally downwardly extending brackets having one end thereof connected to said flange member for movement therewith, a circumferentially extending reflector means secured to the other ends of said brackets, an annular electric heating element secured to and insulated from said reflector means by a plurality of spaced bracket means, said annular heating element andvsaid reflector means having a central axis that is normal to a plane containing said heating element, and said reflector means circumferentially encompassing said heating element for directing heat rays from said heating element radially toward said central axis and toward a green I tire positioned within said circumferentially extending reflector means and said heating element.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said reflector means includes at least a pair of annular reflectors that are semi-circular in cross-section for directing a narrow width of radiant heat energy over the shoulder area of a green tire positioned within said reflectors.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said annular reflectors has a heating element means and each of said heating element means being a thin radiant heater element.

4. An apparatus for the conditioning of tires for vulcanization comprising a base support member, said base member having a flange member movable mounted relative thereto, power means operatively interconnecting said flange member and said base member for moving said flange member relative to said base member, a plurality of longitudinally downwardly extending brackets having one end thereof connected to said flange member for movement therewith, a pair of spaced circumferentially extending reflectors secured to the other ends of said brackets, each of said reflectors having one annular electric heating element secured thereto and insulated therefrom by a plurality of spaced bracket means, said annular heating elements having a common central axis that is normal to a plane containing said heating element, and such said reflectors circumferentially encompassing their respective said heating elements radially toward said central axis and toward a green tire positioned within said circumferentially extending reflectors.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said reflectors are semi-circular in cross sections for directing radiant energy to the shoulder area of a green tire. f

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said reflectors are parabolic in cross-section for directing a narrow width band of radiant energy to the shoulder area of a green tire. 

1. An apparatus for the conditioning of tires for vulcanization comprising a base support member, said base member having a flange member movable mounted relative thereto, power means operatively interconnecting said flange member and said base member for moving said flange member relative to said base member, a plurality of longitudinally downwardly extending brackets having one end thereof connected to said flange member for movement therewith, a circumferentially extending reflector means secured to the other ends of said brackets, an annular electric heating element secured to and insulated from said reflector means by a plurality of spaced bracket means, said annular heating element and said reflector means having a central axis that is normal to a plane containing said heating element, and said reflector means circumferentially encompassing said heating element for directing heat rays from said heating element radially toward said central axis and toward a green tire positioned within said circumferentially extending reflector means and said heating element.
 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said reflector means includes at least a pair of annular reflectors that are semi-circular in cross-sections for directing a narrow width of radiant heat energy over the shoulder area of a green tire positioned within said reflectors.
 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said annular reflectors has a heating element means and each of said heating element means being a thin radiant heAter element.
 4. An apparatus for the conditioning of tires for vulcanization comprising a base support member, said base member having a flange member movable mounted relative thereto, power means operatively interconnecting said flange member and said base member for moving said flange member relative to said base member, a plurality of longitudinally downwardly extending brackets having one end thereof connected to said flange member for movement therewith, a pair of spaced circumferentially extending reflectors secured to the other ends of said brackets, each of said reflectors having one annular electric heating element secured thereto and insulated therefrom by a plurality of spaced bracket means, said annular heating elements having a common central axis that is normal to a plane containing said heating element, and such said reflectors circumferentially encompassing their respective said heating elements radially toward said central axis and toward a green tire positioned within said circumferentially extending reflectors.
 5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said reflectors are semi-circular in cross sections for directing radiant energy to the shoulder area of a green tire.
 6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said reflectors are parabolic in cross-section for directing a narrow width band of radiant energy to the shoulder area of a green tire. 